Komnenoi

Komnenoi, a dynasty of Byzantine emperors (1057-1059, 1081-1185), founded by Alexios I Komnenos (emperor from 1081). Komnenos family most likely descended from the circle of feudal lords of Asia Minor and expressed the interests of the provincial feudal lords. Thanks to the measures taken by the Komnenoi, feudal institutions were strengthened, administrative governance was improved, the management of the navy was centralized, and military reform was carried out — the feudal army was replaced mainly by foreign mercenaries, and the church was effectively subordinated to the emperor. The Komnenoi had considerable success in foreign policy: they stopped the Seljuk invasion, annexed the northern part of the Balkan Peninsula, a number of districts in Asia Minor, and granted great privileges to the Latins, which caused general indignation. The domestic situation in Byzantium was especially aggravated during the reign of Andronikos I, who was overthrown by rebels in 1185. Power passed into the hands of the Angelos dynasty. After the death of Andronikos I, his young sons Alexios and David were brought up in Georgia. They were raised in Georgian traditions at the court of Queen Tamar (they were relatives from mother's side). In 1204, with the help of Queen Tamar, they seized power in the coastal region of Asia Minor, where Georgian tribes had lived since ancient times, and founded the Empire of Trebizond, which the descendants of Andronikos I ruled under the name of the “Great Komnenoi” from 1204 to 1461.

 

Source: გეორგიკა. ბიზანტიელი მწერლების ცნობები საქართველოს შესახებ, ს. ყაუხჩიშვილის გამოც., ტ. 6, თბ., 1966.

Literature: საქართველოს ისტორიის ნარკვევები, ტ. 3, თბ., 1979.

 

L. Maniava